Valley of the Dolls

The novel Valley of the Dolls, originally published in 1966, is a fictional exposé of the lives of three young career women who meet in New York City in 1945, just after the end of World War II. Anne, a recent Radcliffe College graduate, works for a law firm that represents well-known entertainers. Jennifer is an astonishingly beautiful showgirl who marries a famous singer. Neely, only 17, is a budding singer and dancer who eventually becomes a Hollywood star. As they work toward fulfilling their dreams, each woman faces obstacles emerging from the patriarchal establishment, their male love interests, and the narcotics, euphemistically called dolls, upon which they become dependent.

The author, Jacqueline Susann, was a Broadway actor and entertainer and was well-acquainted with the sort of people she writes about. Her frank discussions of sexuality, drug addiction, and the excesses of entertainers caused the book to be controversial upon its release, elevating it to the top of the bestseller list. Additionally, many consider the novel a roman à clef with characters based on real-life actresses. A movie based on the book was released in 1967. It is estimated that 31 million copies of the book have been sold.

This guide refers to the 50th-anniversary paperback edition, published by Grove Press in 2016.

Content Warning: The novel contains antigay bias, body shaming, drug abuse, suicidal ideation, and death by suicide.

Plot Summary

Anne Wells, a recent graduate of Radcliffe College, leaves her staid Lawrenceville, Massachusetts, hometown in the fall of 1945 to begin a career in New York City. She lands a job as an assistant to Henry Bellamy, an attorney who represents famous New York entertainers. Anne rooms in a boardinghouse, where she meets 17-year-old Neely, soon to change her name to Neely O’Hara, a dancer in a post-vaudeville trio with a part in a Broadway musical. Anne meets Lyon Burke, another attorney in her firm, who has just returned from the European war theater. Lyon introduces Anne to a beautiful showgirl named Jennifer North.

Anne learns that an innocuous insurance agent she has been dating is actually Allen Cooper, the son of a real estate tycoon. He announces that he has investigated Anne and concludes she is just what she seems: a beautiful ingenue. Allen insists he will marry Anne, even presenting her with a 10-carat diamond engagement ring. Though she wears the ring, Anne refuses to set a wedding date.

By striking up a friendship with Broadway star Helen Lawson, Anne secures a part for Neely in Helen’s play, which is a great success. Alone with Lyon after one of the performances, Anne initiates a love affair and breaks off her engagement with Allen. Helen demands that Anne get her a date with Gino, Allen’s father, but she cannot convince Gino to see Helen. Lyon deserts her, and Anne finds herself stranded out of town. She encounters Jennifer, who is also in the musical and who loans her $10 to get back to New York. Learning that her aunt has died, Anne returns to Lawrenceville for a week; upon returning to work, she is treated like royalty, especially by the apologetic Lyon.

Jennifer, a legal client of Henry’s, gets a divorce from her first husband, a broke European nobleman. Suffering from chronic insomnia, Jennifer starts taking red dolls: sleeping pills. She meets Tony Polar, a rising singer who falls in love with her. Jennifer decides to woo and marry Tony, though his older sister, Miriam, watches him closely. Jennifer lures him out of town, and they marry.

Neely marries a young publicist, Mel Harris. As her acclaim grows, Henry takes her on as a client. A talent developer works with her to enhance her singing and acting abilities. When her own musical opens, it is a great success, and she is offered a movie contract in Hollywood.

Anne’s mother dies in an auto accident. After the funeral, she invites Lyon, who is writing a book about his war experiences, to join her at her parents’ home. Delighted by the quaint setting, Lyon tells Anne he wants them to live there so he can write. She refuses, explaining that she detests Lawrenceville. Lyon abruptly leaves her house. Eventually, she finds out that he quit his job and moved to an ancestral home in England, leaving her a farewell letter.

Both Neely and Tony have movie contracts in Hollywood, and the two couples end up living close to one another. Jennifer goes to visit Neely, who has starred in two successful movies, and learns that Mel feels alienated. Neely confesses to Jennifer that she is in love with her wardrobe man, Ted Casablanca, and they have plotted to trick Mel into returning to New York so they can marry. When Neely says she takes diet pills—green dolls—that keep her awake at night, Jennifer tells her about red dolls. By the time their conversation is over, a delivery man brings Neely 100 red dolls.

Jennifer, bored at having nothing to do, fears that Tony will get rid of her as Neely got rid of Mel. She decides that if she has a child, Tony will not leave her, and she gets pregnant. While Tony is delighted, Miriam insists that Jennifer get an abortion. In the emotional struggle that follows, Jennifer moves back to New York and discovers the shallowness of Tony’s emotional bond. Miriam comes to New York and explains to Jennifer that Tony—who is unaware—has a developmental disability and will soon decline. Jennifer’s child, Miriam says, will have the same fate. With Henry’s help, Jennifer procures a divorce with hefty alimony. She also gets an abortion.

Claude Chardot, a French director of soft-core porn films, woos Jennifer, offering her a contract to make films in Paris. While celebrating Jennifer’s new contract, Anne meets Kevin Gillmore, the CEO of a cosmetics company. Kevin immediately offers Anne the role of the Gillian Girl, the spokesperson and public face of Gillian Cosmetics. Anne takes the job, leaving Henry and quickly becoming famous for print advertising as well as conquering the new medium of television ads.

Neely, now a mother of twins and totally consumed with her movie schedule, discovers Ted swimming naked in her pool with a young starlet. When Neely gives him an ultimatum, he leaves with the young woman. Neely finds herself alone, lonely, and dependent on drugs and alcohol. Though she wins an Oscar, she has no solace and feuds with the producers and directors, insisting that they cannot do without her and that she will decide when she wants to work. Eventually, they trick her out of a lead movie role, and she leaves Hollywood to stay with Anne in New York.

Anne develops a quasi-romantic relationship with Kevin. They discuss marriage but have not made a commitment. When Neely arrives, they take her to see Helen’s new musical, which flops. Afterward, they go to a club, where Neely sings several well-received songs. Helen arrives at the club as well. Kevin asks Neely if she would consider doing a television special, which she declines. When Neely and Anne go to the ladies’ room to discuss Kevin’s offer, Helen confronts Neely. The two spar verbally, and Neely becomes so angry she grabs Helen’s hair, a wig, which she tries to flush. Leaving the bathroom, Neely agrees to do the live TV musical special.

When the day of the musical comes, Neely cannot follow the strange rituals of TV broadcasting and refuses to do the broadcast. While she stays with Anne, Neely’s drug and alcohol use grows out of control, resulting in a quasi-suicide attempt. She is taken to a mental health hospital for what she assumes is a weeklong sleep cure, but she ends up being committed indefinitely as the only solution to her addiction.

Jennifer returns to the US from France and meets Winston Adams, a senator who falls in love with her. As she prepares to marry him, she discovers she has metastatic breast cancer. Not realizing her condition, Winston reveals that his major attraction to Jennifer is her bosom. The night before her mastectomy, Jennifer uses dolls to die by suicide.

Kevin suffers a major heart attack, and Anne cares for him. He promises that if he survives, he will marry her, and they will have an around-the-world honeymoon. As they are about to set a date, Lyon returns to New York. He and Anne quickly resume their affair, enraging Kevin.

Anne strikes a deal with Henry to lure Lyon back to his old job. Reluctantly, he becomes Neely’s manager after she leaves the mental health hospital. When Neely and Lyon set out on a tour, Anne stays in New York with her newborn daughter, Jennifer Burke. In the months that follow, Neely and Lyon begin an open affair. At Henry’s suggestion, Anne pretends not to be aware of Lyon’s infidelity. Ultimately, when Lyon takes on a new, young singer—Margie Parks—as a client, Neely feigns a suicide attempt and demands that Lyon come to her whenever she asks for him. Lyon abandons her, and his firm releases her as a client.

Anne throws a New Year’s Eve party and, in the midst, goes into her darkened bedroom to rest. Lyon comes in with Margie Parks, and they discuss having an affair without realizing Anne is present. After they leave the room, Anne takes two red dolls to go to sleep.